Wiki use for knowledge integration and learning: A three tier conceptualization

This study was conducted to explain the factors influencing wiki-mediated learning by integrating learner characteristics, environmental factors, and the knowledge-building function of teamwork on a wiki platform by using two theoretical tracks from the literature on wiki: adoption continuance and knowledge management in collaborative teams. An online survey (self-report study) was administered to undergraduate students in three sections of an introductory IT concepts class at a northeastern U.S. university. The results indicated that social presence is the most significant factor because it is not only related to both perceived usefulness and team cognitive elaboration but also directly related to perceived learning. Social presence is a construct from the Transactional distance theory and Computer-Mediated Communication that have been previously applied in both theoretical tracks as environmental factors for effective online learning. In theory, by adding relevant learner characteristics constructs, an environmental factor, and team knowledge management constructs in an integrated model of learning in the wiki for collaborative teamwork context, we bridge a major gap in wiki-related research for education. In practice, we conclude that learners in a wiki-based group project environment must perceive presence through social interaction with their teammates, classmates, teaching assistants, and instructors to improve the learning experience and outcome.